Sapa: immersion in a Hmong family between mountains and rice fields
Sapa, mountain town, perched at an altitude of 1 m. This is a visit that is more my lady's responsibility than mine. When we were planning our trip to northern Vietnam, I would have happily skipped Sapa if it were up to me, why?
Sapa, too touristy?
Mainly because of this reputation of a overdeveloped tourism, and the ethnic groups who, although seeming welcoming, end up having to deal with hordes of tourists, seemed to me to harm the experience and the friendly aspect that is supposed to be the key to this encounter.
View of Sapa.
Formerly isolated, Sapa was first a military base before becoming a colonial high-altitude station, which then remained active for almost fifty years, thus developing interactions between locals through the creation of a market.
There came a troubled period linked to the war of independence and then the Vietnam War.
Today it has become a new one popular mountain resort, first mainly by the Vietnamese from 1993 when the area reopened to the public, then gradually to foreign tourists.
Since Sapa was finally included in the trip, this is how our meeting with the Hmong went.
A trek like no other: Meet our guide
Arriving early in the morning, we could not check in to our hotel directly, so we had time to visit the surroundings a bit before deciding what to do next. It was while passing by the large square next to the church that we were approached by one of these women of the Hmong ethnic group, more precisely, of the “Black Hmong” ethnic group.
Church Square in Sapa.
Classically, since it is therefore the "tradition" in Sapa, she invites us to take us to her village. Well, concretely, since we were there and Jitima wanted to come to Sapa, we had no reason not to go either.
However, I didn't want to leave right away, and due to lack of time, I suggested going by motorbike rather than on foot...
So exit the famous Sapa trek for us… I can already imagine dark looks falling on me… “Frenzy!”, “Why not walk with her, that’s what makes the experience interesting”, etc.
Our future host for the half day.
First of all, it's due to lack of time. When you travel, you have choices to make, and here, I prefer to spend more time on site, in the village. In addition, when you see the commercial aspect and all these groups of tourists leaving in a happy herd with their guide(s) of the day, you tell yourself that at least we have the merit of doing it differently...
So we agree to meet her at the same place at 13 p.m. and leave Sapa, Head for the Ton Pass Tram.
Tram Ton Pass and Thac Bac Waterfall
If you do the loop from the other side (via Mai Chau, Dien Bien Phu and Lai Chau among others), you will probably go through this pass to reach Sapa.
In our case, it was just to take a look at the view from the pass, and indeed, what a view!
Crossing the Tram Ton pass.
The road leading there is also pretty, housing the imposing Mount Fansipan, which dominates the Sapa region. If you have time, you can trek to its summit, which peaks at 3 m.
We were content to stop at a viewpoint and the Thac Bac waterfall (also called Silver Falls in English).
The water falls about 100 m over several floors. Not particularly impressive, the entrance, which is paid all the same, does not cost much (exact price to come). And after all, it is on the road, so you might as well stop.
Sapa, a small mountain town
After our morning walk, we returned to the hotel to check in. We were surprised to be "upgraded" to a superior room which opened onto a large terrace with a great view of the mountains and Sapa town.
I take advantage of this passage to point out that we had slept at Sapa Stunning View Hotel, which lives up to its name and the welcome was great so I recommend it (around €15).
I have just seen that they have bought the old Family Guesthouse, a little further upstream (at number 28 on the same road instead of 63 where the original hotel is located) to make it a Stunning View 2.
Facade of our hotel.
Our room at the Stunning View Hotel.
The “stunning view” of the hotel of the same name!
Since we still had some time before 13pm, we were going to take a little walk around the city, just to find a restaurant to eat. In doing so, we arrived at the edge of the lake.
We will be approached by a group of Hmong women, sellers of jewelry and souvenirs… One of them, a friendly granny with a generous smile. Above all, she is a great saleswoman!
While I slipped away to take pictures, Jitima ended up buying him some trinkets. After this little moment at the edge of the lake, we returned as promised to the church square to see our "guide" of the day again.
Great Hmong granny!
Ta Van Valley
First we had to wait for someone to come and pick her up on a motorbike, then pick up a friend who was also returning to the village. Finally, we headed to the Hau Thao village, located all the same 10 km from Sapa (so count on 3-4 hours if you go there on foot!).
As we moved away, we were reassured that we had done well to prefer the motorbike...
Public transport.
Small tax in passing.
Let's go !
We negotiated the "tour" at $25, including meals and gas for their motorcycle. Pretty decent, although she lied about the price of the tax to pay on the road to the village, a tax whose price we will see displayed when she goes to pay at the crossing in question, price = barely 1 dollar when she told us it was $5.
That said, it was still an excellent price and we were going to have a relaxing afternoon in a really great setting!
In the meantime, we walked along part of the Ta Van Valley. We stopped from time to time at a viewpoint set up to take photos, not without coming across other saleswomen, most of whom are children...
Hau Thao Village
As we approached the village, our guide stopped at a small roadside shop to buy some groceries for us. prepare the meal.
It's shopping time!
The village is at the foot of this mountain.
We are arriving.
Then, shortly after, we branched off the main road to climb a small secondary road which quickly became a mountain path with the first houses, our point of arrival.
I parked the motorbike and then we set off on foot, barely 5 minutes to reach the house where we would spend the afternoon.
While preparing the meal, we got to know our host's children and went to take some photos of the surroundings.
A big house.
The view from the house.
There, she abandons the “ceremonial” clothes for a more relaxed version.
The house (left) and its surroundings.
The rice fields next to the house.
A little shy.
Preparing the meal.
His son feeding a rescued bird.
It was around the meal that we got to know our guide and the customs of his ethnic group, the black Hmong as a reminder.
We learned a few words of her native language, how she learned English by talking to tourists, and that unlike other women in Sapa, she only works as a guide as a supplement, once or twice a week.
The pigs in front of the house are kept for a year, until Hmong New Year where they will be sacrificed and eaten.
His level of the language of Shakespeare being rather good, it was an enriching discussion and all, around an excellent meal, it must be said, it was the best of all our meals!
A good afternoon in the calm of the village, where I regret that the rice fields are not yet planted, but the scenery is already fabulous.
At the end of lunch, she brings out a bottle with a clear liquid, my wife thought it was water and starts to gulp down her little glass that we just served her... Rice alcohol, which they locally call "happy water", we understand why...
Our beautiful table.
Our host and we have several drinks without getting drunk either.
We couldn't leave without her and her girlfriend showing us some artisanal products that they make when they don't welcome tourists.
Jitima is happy, and so is our host!
Shopping time.
Souvenir photo!
The dog poses.
The small path leading to the village houses.
The superb evening view.
One last look.
My apologies for her, I can't find the name of our guide, but I carefully noted it in my paper travel diary that I must find again (the joys of working at home...)
The time had come for farewells, souvenir photos as the setting sun bathed the entire side of the mountain facing us in a soft reddish light.
We will also take the time to stop to admire the sunset along our way back to Sapa. Next stop? Bac Ha Market.
The sunset that evening was just sublime!
For my part, if I was initially reluctant to come to the region, I quickly changed my mind when faced with these fantastic landscapes and the possibilities offered by the surroundings of Sapa. Certainly, the city is touristy, there is an undeniable commercial aspect in the interaction with the local populations, but it is, a priori, quite possible to appreciate the experience by making the right choices.
And you, what was your experience in Sapa? What is your opinion on the tourist development of the place? Want to go there?
Rome
Beautiful, and surprising because I recognize a lady who accompanied me once to Sapa, she was nice as can be. In any case, a beautiful report and beautiful photos. Have a good trip
Roman
Thanks Rom! You know how they say, "it's a small world" 🙂 Thanks also for wishing me a good trip but I've already been back 2 months ago 😉
Laurent
As a big fan of rice fields, Sapa was clearly one of the places I absolutely wanted to go to the day I went to Vietnam. But I admit that after reading a lot of stories about the very very very commercial side of things, just like you Romain, I would hesitate now. But in the end, I think that if you go there with full knowledge of the facts, the landscapes are always the same and must be splendid (your photos give that impression in any case), so there must be a way to have a very good time.
But with a motorbike, aren't there less accessible and slightly less "invaded" villages that would be accessible in fact? That's more or less what I hope in a corner of my mind for the day I go (hence also my motorbike question, there isn't... incredible how much I can follow through on my ideas sometimes!!
Roman
Regarding the motorbike, you confused me a bit with the way you phrased it… but basically, that’s exactly what we did, the motorbike! I imagine that there are certainly even quieter villages as you move a little further away from Sapa, especially towards the north (we had done our scouting but we didn’t have time to go there because it’s still more than 100km away and in the mountains, 100km is a long way…)
The Fairy Rusk
Whoa, I am in awe of these landscapes, characters... Magnificent. Thank you for this beautiful discovery.
Roman
With pleasure! Thank you for your comment!
Laurent
Oops, I'm a pro at long-winded sentences where you end up not understanding anything, that's my style 😉 Yes, I understood that you were traveling by motorbike, I was wondering about the more remote areas, but indeed, 100 km in the mountains is not nothing!
Roman
Lol. We've reached remote areas... I got lost almost to the border with China, stopped at an advanced guard post and shortly after, another mistake; the road became a path, I was clearly in unvisited areas...
Jeremiah de Oliveira Marinho
Great photos, I have traveled several times myself and fell in love in 2015 with a fabulous Hmong family who live a few minutes walk from the house where you stayed. Since then I have spent a little over a year spread over 6 trips in the village of Hau Thao at Mama Lili's. I look forward to it every time I return and always enjoy accompanying Mama Lili in all her activities. When I walk alone in the rice fields of the village, I love going to your host's house who, in my opinion, has one of the most spectacular views of the village and the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity to stay with them because I limit myself to deepening my relationship with the family that I have gotten to know so well over the years. But I have already had the opportunity to chat with your host several times who seems to be, like many villagers in the region, very welcoming and friendly.
To return to the question of Sapa which is often perceived as a commercial city where we are often approached by local ethnic groups, I think it is good to ignore hearsay and form our own opinion. Of course, it is true that as soon as we arrive in Sapa, these ladies wait for us at the bus door and accost us at every turn in the streets of the city, but we must not forget that many of them have not had the chance to learn or even learn to master the technological tools that we use every day. This is why, for them, it is the only way to make their business prosper, once this notion is acquired, nothing prevents us from talking with them when they come to approach us to learn a little more about their culture and to know the reasons for this approach which often seems a little aggressive.
In reality, all these women are working forces, both at home and outside, they very often take care of their house to best welcome visitors, the garden, the rice fields and crops to feed their family and visitors and try to get up every morning at 4 or 5 am to prepare breakfast for the family before going to town to try to earn a little money in order to have the opportunity to consume a little more than what the family manages to produce.
Participating in this by visiting their families, by letting yourself be drawn into the activities they offer also allows these ethnic groups to remain confident in the future of their business, to perpetuate these beautiful encounters and experiences with the locals that are difficult to find in many countries. It is also a way for those who stay a little longer and decide like me to get involved in the lives of the families to meet many travelers passing through and to share with them our travel experiences and to have discussions that are a little out of the ordinary.
Of course, you can move away from Sapa to live more roots experiences. I would say that about 20 km would be enough to easily find families whose homestay activity is not a priority and ask them if it is possible to share a few days with them. But this is only for travelers for whom comfort is not important. The first time I met Mama Lili, her house was modest but the family's curiosity and their interest in me was all the greater. But 8 years later the family still welcomes me with open arms, they have always remained very generous and concerned about my well-being above all so that I have the best possible stay. I think it is the same in every ethnic family in the region.
So for those who still doubt, those who do not have the time to delve into villages a little further north in the region of Dong Van, Meo Vac or even Cao Bang, go for it, you will always find the same spirit in Sapa if you know how to ignore prejudices and dig a little deeper, you will always find infinite kindness among these people.
Roman
Hello,
Thank you for this very complete testimony. Funny that you came across my host. It goes without saying that the Sapa experience has an element of luck. In our case, we have good memories but it is true that before leaving with one of these ladies, we do not know where or how it will happen. The village where we landed was super photogenic, our host adorable and certainly others will have a less authentic and immersive experience, hence some negative opinions on this place which remains an essential stop in the north of Vietnam.